Speed-changing device.



PATENTED MAY z, 1905.

R K LE BLOND da W F GROENE SPEED CHANGING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1904.

` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 788,658. PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. E. K. LE BLOND & W. E. GROENE.

SPEED CHANGING DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov. 2s. 1904.

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witnesses I n venters Miu/ffii.. gcjafageamz v l am faena /dLu/uxi, .5y @m E l N@ .4 m i) E M I N sw I i a NQ I 'W wsw PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. E. K. LE BLOND L W. E. GROENE.

SPEED CHANGING DEVICE.

.APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 28. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

Inventors By; E

.llttorney- UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

RICHARD K. LE BLOND AND VILLIAM F. GROENE. OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SPEED-CHANGING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,658, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed ANovember 28, 1904. Serial No. 234,531.

of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Changing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to speed-changing devices whereby a great range of varying speeds may be transmitted from a primary or driving shaft through a simple arrangement of intermediate connections to the part to be driven.

In the present embodiment of the invention the same is shown as applied to the head of a machinetool or lathe as a ready means for imparting to the spindle-shaft a great variety of speeds, `and has for its general object to provide a device of simple construction capable of easy manipulation to effect the speed changes desired without removal of any of the parts and while the machine is in operation and wherein the several mechanical elements forming the structure shall have great ease of Inovement.

With the above general objects in view the invention consists of the parts and combinations to be hereinafter more fully described, `and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, which show the invention as applied to a machine-tool for driving the spindle-shaft at varying speeds, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lathe-head having the present invention applied thereto, a part of the casing covering the working parts being broken away to disclose the construction and arrangement beneath. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line :c x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detached detail showing the back shaft and spindle-shaft with their connect-ing parts.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional detached detail showing the friction or ball clutch on the sleeve of the spindle-shaft, and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of a like clutch on the drivingshaft.

In the drawings, A designates a frame- Work and casing for suitably supporting and coveringthe operating parts, and, as shown in Fig. l., it is preferably formed of an upper and a lower part, secured together by any ordinary means, as the bolts A.

Suitably journaled in bearing I) l) in the upper part of the casing A is the driving-shaft B, which may be driven from any suitable power by the driving-pulley B secured to the shaft in appropriate manner.

Splined to or fixed on the driving-shaft B is the member B2 of a friction or roller clutch, the other member thereof being constituted by the extended hub b of a gear B, loose on the driving-shaft and maintained .in operative relationto the member B2 of the clutch by a collar t, secured to the shaft. The preferred general structure of the clutch is shown in sectional detail in Fig. 6, wherein the member B2 is shown as having inclined recesses 6", in which are contained the rollers '641, said rollers traveling in said recesses and bearing upon the extended hub of the gear B3, so that if motion is imparted to the clutch member B2 in a direction to force the rollers into the narrow part of the recesses fr the loose gear B3 will be clutched to and rotate with the clutch member B2 but should the loose gear B3 at such times be given an increased speed obviously the rollers fr would be moved to `the enlarged ends of the recesses and the clutching action with the member B2 be released.

Splined to the driving-shaft B so as to ro` tate therewith and yet be movable longitudinally thereon are the united sliding gears B4 and B5, the sleeve B, uniting them, being provided with the4 recess b to receive the operating end of an arm ZJ, Fig. 2, secured to a small shaft b5, extending through the casing and movable by a hand-lever Z to thereby move the gears B4 and B5 longitudinally on the shaft B. The gears B4 and B5, as will be noted, are of different diameters.

Suitably journaled in the casing A in bearings c c is the shaft O, which for identification maybe termed the transmitting-shaft, and fixed thereto so as to rotate therewith are the gears C C2 and C3, C, and These gears may be fixed to the shaft by any suitable means so that they may at all times rotate therewith and not be longitudinally movable thereon. lf desired, for instance, gear C may be keyed to the shaft, as shown, and its hub be extended sufficiently, as at c, to receive the gear C2, which is keyed thereon. Likewise the gears C3 and C4 may be keyed to the shaft and to each other in a similar manner, and the gear C5 may be fixed to the shaft by its sleeved hub c2. lt is to be understood that the particular manner of securing these gears to the shaft C is not'of material importance.

Mounted to turn in suitable bearings d d of the casing and frame is the main spindle-shaft D, to which varying speeds are to be transmitted for application to the particular work in hand. Loosely mounted upon the spindleshaft D is the sleeve E, extending nearly the length of the spindle-shaft between its bearings d d. Fixed to the sleeve E, as shown at the left in Fig. 4, is the clutch member F, (shown in detail in Fig. 5,) and loosely mounted on the sleeve E, adjacent the clutch member F, is the gear F, the clutch member F preferably having its rim portion f extending into a recess of the gear F, tapering recesses f and rollers f 2 being inserted in the recesses between the clutch member F and gear F substantially similar to like parts already described for clutch member B2 and gear B3, so that motion of rotation being imparted to gear F through the gear C5 will cause the gear F and clutch member F to be clutched together and rotate in unison, thereby rotating the loose sleeve E, as will be obvious. Should, however, the sleeve E be given an accelerated movement, it is obvious that the clutch member F will move ahead of gear F and unclutch the two by the rollers f 2 passing into the enlarged part of the recesses, substantially as in the case of the parts B2 and B3.

Mounted upon the sleeve E and splined thereto so as to rotate with and be movable longitudinally on said sleeve E are the slipgears G G', having a sleeve connection, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. A portion of the sleeve of the slip-gears is provided with a circular groove g to receive the end of an arm g', secured to a shaft g2, extending through the casing A and having a handle g3, wherebyT the slip-gears can be moved longitudinally of the sleeve E, all as will be obvious on Figs. 2 and 4.

Assuming the parts to be in the position indicated by Fig. 4 and motion imparted to the driving-shaft B, the clutch member B2 will, as already described, be forced into clutching engagement with the loose gear B3, and the rotative motion thus imparted to the gear B3 will be transmitted through the gear C2 on the transmitting-shaft, thereby rotating said shaft, and the gear C3, fixed to said transmitting-shaft, will, through the gear F and clutch member F, as already explained, transmit this motion to the sleeve E. This is what may be termed the "initial speed which is imparted to the sleeve E from the driving-shaft at the slowest rate. This speed is accelerated or changed by throwing the gears B4 B5 longitudinally of the drivingshaft, causing gear B4 to engage with gear C3. This immediately drives the transmittingshaft C faster than through the initial speed, as above described,` and by giving this accelerated motion to gear B3 from the transmitting-shaft through gears C2 releases the gear B3 from the clutch member B2. lf a still faster speed is desired to be given the transmitting-shaft C, the gears B4 B3 are by the handle b3 moved longitudinally of the driving-shaft to engage gear B5 with gear C* on the transmitting-shaft, the loose gear B3 being disengaged from the clutch member by its accelerated motion, as before. lf still faster speeds are desired for the spindle-shaft D, the slip-gears G G on the sleeve E are by the handle g3 moved longitudinally of the sleeve E to cause gear G to mesh with gear C on the transmitting-shaft, whereupon the sleeve E is given acceleration and the gear F and clutch member F are disengaged, as will be obvious, the quill or sleeve E being thus driven through the slide-gears, the drive being led through the gears direct. Again, if a still different speed is desired gear G is thrown into engagement with gear C2, thus unclutching gear F and clutch member F, as before, and driving the .sleeve ,or quill direct. In order that the variable motions thus imparted to the sleeve or `uill E, which is loosely mounted on the spind e-shaft, may be transmitted to the spindle-shaft direct, the said sleeve or quill is provided at one end, to the right in Fig.'4, with a disk E', having a hole or perforation e adaptedA to receive a movable locking-pin e, carried by face-gear H, fixed to the spindle-shaft D in any suitable manner so that said spindle-shaft and face-gear H shall rotate together. From this construction it will be evident that the motion of the sleeve or quill E may be directly transmitted to the spindle-shaft l.) byl engaging the locking-pin e with the perforation or hole in the disk E. rl`he varying speeds thus imparted to the spindle-shaft may then be doubled by means of the back gears, which will now be described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, K is the back shaft eccentrically mounted in suitable bearings c, Fig. 2, in the casing A, and said back shaft carries the gears K K2 secured thereon. Fixed to the sleeve or quill E is the small gear lf3, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) while fixed to the shaft at the opposite end of the sleeve or quill E is the face-gear H. The lockingpin e being withdrawn from locking engagement with the disk E and the back shaft K being turned by any suitable means will by IOO IOS

IIO

its eccentric mounting throw the gear K into engagement with the gear K3 on the sleeve or quill E, and simultaneously therewith the gear K2 on the back shaft will be thrown into engagement with the face-gear H, iixed to the spindle-shaft. It will thus be seen that the variable speeds of the sleeve or quill E may be directly transmitted to the spindle-shaft by locking said sleeve to the face-gear H in the manner stated but if it is desired to still further increase the variable speed of the spindle-shaft the sleeve or quill E may be unlocked from the face-gear H and the back shaft then turned to throw the back gears K K2 into engagement with the gear K3 and the face-gear H, respectively, as hereinbefore described.

It will be noted from the simple construction above described that the relative speeds may be imparted to the spindle-shaft, and this can be done by a simple manipulation of the handles b 573 and such changes can be made readily and without endangering any of the operating parts. lf still further variations of speed are desired, these can be attained through the back shaft, as hereinbefore described.

It is to be understood that While we have chosen to illustrate and describe the present i invention as applied to a lathe-spindle, yet

it is applicable to a wide range of use-as, for

instance, in milling and other like machines where changes of speed are desirable.

Having thus described our invention,what

we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patl. In a speed-changing device, the combination of a driving-shaft and a spindle-shaft, initial driving connections between said shafts, comprising a gear loose upon the driving-shaft, means for driving said gear from the driving-shaft, a sleeve or quill loosely mounted on the spindle-shaft, a gear loosely mounted upon said sleeve or quill, means for driving the sleeve or quill from the said lastnamed gear, and means for operatively connecting the sleeve vor quill and the spindleshaft.

2. In a speed-changing device for machinetools, the combination of a driving-shaft, loose and sliding gears on said shaft, a transmitting-shaft, a series of gears of different diameters fixed thereon, said loose gear being in constant engagement with a gear on the transmitting-shaft, means for throwing the sliding gears into engagement or out of engagement with fixed gears on the transmittin -shaft, a clutch member for automatica ly causing a driving connection between the loose gear and driving-shaft when the sliding gears are disengaged from the gears on the transmitting-shaft and for disconnecting the driving connection between the loose gear and driving-shaft when either of said slide-gears are in engagement with a fixed gear on the transmitting-shaft, a spindle-shaft, and operative connections between it and the transmitting-shaft.

3. ln a speed-changing device for machinetools, thet combination of a driving-shaft, loose and sliding gears on said shaft, a transmitting-shaft, a series of gears of `different diameters fixed. thereon, said loose gear being in constant engagement with a gear on the transmitting-shaft, means for throwing the sliding gears into engagement or out of engagement with lixed gears on the transmitting-shaft, a clutch member for automatieally causing a driving connection between the loose gear and driving-shaft when the sliding gears are disengaged from the gears on the transmitting-shaft and for disconnecting the driving connection between the loose gear and driving-shaft when either of said slide-gears are in engagement with a fixed gear on the transmitting-shaft, a spindleshaft, and operative connections between it and the transmitting-shaft.

4. In a speed-changing mechanism for machine-tools, the combination of a drivingshaft and a spindle-shaft, gearing connecting the driving-shaft and spindle-shaft to impart to the latter initial or variable speeds, said gearing including loose gears and devices for detachably securing said loose gears to the driving and the spindle shafts respectively, and means for moving part of said gearing into operative relation to increase the speed of the spindle-shaft and automatically cause the remaining portion of said gearing to run idle.

` 5. In a speed-changing device for toolspindles, the combination of a driving-shaft, a gear loose on said shaft, a clutch member lixed to said shaft for driving the loose gear, sliding gears on said driving-shaft, a transmitting-shaft, a series of gears of varying diameters fixed to said. shaft, a spindle-shaft, a sleeve or quill loose on said shaft, a loose gear on said sleeve or quill, a clutch member iixed to said sleeve or quill for driving the latter from the loose gear thereon, sliding gears splined to said sleeve or quill, means for moving the sliding gears on the driving-shaft and sleeve or quill into and out of engagement with gears on the transmitting shaft and means for operatively connecting the spindleshaft and sleeve or quill.

6. In a speed-changing device for machinetool spindles, the combination of a drivingshaft, a gear loosely mounted thereon, a spindle-shaft, a sleeve or quill loosely mounted thereon, a Gear loosely mounted on said sleeve or quill, transmitting gearing connection between the said loose gear on the driving-shaft and loose gear on the sleeve or quill, clutch members forming automatic connections between the loose gear and drivingshaft, and loose gear and sleeve or quill, sliding gears on the driving-shaft for driving the ioo ITO

transmitting connectionsV at increased,speed` a'iidfdis'connecting the loose gear on),thefdrling-shaft from its clutch inen'ibfers,:and,1V oper-` ating connections 'betweenthe,"spindleshaft4 tool spindles, 'the combination offV a driving! thereon, 'a' near loose vf mounted onf` said sleeve'or quill, transmitting gearing ,coineeltion between thesaidlo'ose gearfn'jthe ing-'shaft 'and loose gearl'o'n ther sleeveA or quill, clutch members forming j autoinatioY connections between the' loose 'gear and ydriving-shaft, and loosel gearland*Sslzeevedor quill), sliding gears' on xtheJ .drivinglshaft ifQjvn thel transmitting f connections fat", increase n, speed and disconnecting theloose gear' on the j driving-'shaft ifroiiifits clutch 'member,`, and` 1 sliding gears on the sleeve or"quillfor'engag` f ing the transmitting-gearing to increase the sleeve or quill 8.' In a speed-changing device for machinetools, the'oombiiiation of the spindleshaft, ab sleeve looselvinounted ony said shaft, opfer'atff ing connections lbetvi'feeii the `spin'dl.e-fshaiftf and sleevefsliding gears of ,different `'diaiii`e'-'` ters' splined on said sleeve',` adriving.-jsliaft;A

gears of Vdiii'erent diameters splined to shaft7 a loose gear on the drivingshaft Wand t sleeve, clutch lmembers for connecting them y operatively to said shaft A and tsleeve, transmissiongearing for operatively connecting either the loose gearsorfthe slidingz'g'lg`ezrtrs,`

9 Ina speed-"ehangingdevice'forjm'achiiie- Vtool spindles, the combination ofthe spindleV shaft, a sl'eeveloosel'y' mounted (in said shaftg:

connected sliding gears of diereiitfdiamfeters spliii'ed on said sleeve, a' driviiig-shaft,

connected sliding lgears of different diaiiiev-` ters splined to' said sliaftgiiieans Jfor driving the said sleeve at' minimum Vinitial speedl from the driving-shaft including clutch mem'-v bers and loose gears 'on' said sliaftlfa'iid,sleeve,J devices for moving the sliding gears'vintoopf' erative relation with a part of said means to increase tliespeed'of the4 sleeve, a 'baclgshafg and means for operatively; connecting the back shaft with the sleeve and spindle-shaft'.

10. In a speed-changing device 'for fina'- chinetool spindles, the*v combination of ,ai

driving-shaft, agear loose on said shaft, `a

clutch member iixed 'toV said shaftior driving the loose gear,sliding gears on 'said driving'- shait, a transmitting-shaftja series 'of'ge'ars of -varying diameters Vixed to' said' shaft', a

loose gear'on said sleeve or quill, 1a U'clutchH member iiXed to said sleeve or quillfo'r drivf ing the latter from the loose gearV thereon,

sliding gears splined to said sleeve orqiiill,

uillfloosely'niointedi i (l different!diameteifsthereon, aspin les-shaft,

ween.

land means ,fonmoving the sliding gearspn sensing-Shafiand sise @1n-quin mi@ and out,y off engagementf withA the gears .on thev transmittiiigshaft, aba'clgshait, and means foi iterativelyfastening, ne back Shaft,

.mismshaft disposed .between tiiqdiivingf shaftaiid spindlesha'ft 1and having a series Oflginrlnf :different :diameters ,fined vthrwn,` the loose' gears on the drivingshaft and sleeve l being, @Qnennt engngement'wifh fined genis Online 'trnnSiningQn-snnft @lntnhingnlf bersforjc 'nneting Sad Geniessen fnsfpenv tivelyfto theQdriving-shaft `and, sleeve to. im- V part Vinitial' spgeged t`o` theifsleeve, andinleans; for infioifng the' 'Sliding gears' on thasleewand driving-shaft vfor engaging any of said sliding gears With [the fixed gears ,0n the. .transmis Sin-Shaft fer increasing, the, Spend, ,i f; the. sleevel' i" Y 12.f In n ad speed-changing device for,` machine-'I tool `spii ildl`e' s, the combination offa dnvngshaft nd Spindl-Shnft.initial-Spend. gearing; between; the ldiiyngshnfnnnd, spin., dle ,-fsliaf'f and other gearsloi 1 different ldiaF ametei b6],61V1261l, ,the vdrivin'gesliaft ,and spin-4 die-shaft,A andv lmeans for'v moving the A,said Otlengaeinwendfnt@Operating relation?,

13. YInia 'speed-changing device forgfma- Chinn- @Ooi spindles, the, @Onlbnaton nf, n drivingshaift, sliding vgears: g of :difieren-vt, dii-.N mees geen', ai spindeeshaff, a .S19/@YeY lOSl'y nnnntedfytherenn). sliding .gears of diffrent ,diameters onfsaidsleev@ a transf missionshaft,,disposed,between` the 1 drivingshaft Vand spindle-shaft,`, andjaseries, of gears Off'dffeent diameters 'fixed themen, means for movingtlie'iespective slidinggears into dierntnprety engagement With the, genre on' the transmission-shaft, and means for', connectingthe ysleeve with the spindle-shaft..

14.. In a speedfchaiigiiigdevice yfor machine-tolfspindles, the,l'fcombination of -.a dri'v'ifngfshaft, f sliding gears of f different diaine'ters theeonfa spindle-shafg-K. a` sleeve IOO ioisiely mornted thereon, Sliding ygears 0f denndentergs en nestelen@ n .transnlSSfiOn-Ieneft'npneed' ,between thadnvngf shaft 'and 'spindl'eshafnl a'series of gears offdiiieifent diameters, fixed thereon, means fof inovingfthe respective sliding gears into differei'ito'perative engagementwith thegears on 'the transmissioiishaft, a bask. shaft, and means for moving the back shaft into operativefengagenientwith the vsleeve and with the spindle-Shaft.. Y i

15. In a speed-@hanging device,'.,the com-.r bination ofV a driving-shaft, and a spindlef,

shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted on the spindle-shaft, operating connections between the sleeve and spindle-shaft, initial-speed gearing connecting the driving-shaft and sleeve, gearing additional to the initial-speed gearing disposed between the driving-shaft and sleeve7 and means for moving the said additional gearing into operative relation to increase the speed of the sleeve and cause the initial-speed gearing to run idle.

16. In a speed-changing device for machine-tools, the combination of a drivingshat't and a spindle-shaft, a sleeve loose on the spindle-shaft, and means 'for operatively 

